Sunday MLB Takeaways: Josh Hamilton Flashes Old Form in Heroic Texas Homecoming

Welcome home, Josh Hamilton. That's the overwhelming sentiment in the Lone Star State a week into Hamilton's second go-round with the Texas Rangers.

In seven games since rejoining the Rangers, Hamilton is 6-for-22 with two home runs. He hit both bombs on Friday in a 7-4 win over the Boston Red Sox and added a walk-off double against the Sox on Sunday.

Overall, Texas is 5-2 with Hamilton on the roster.

It's a dream start not even his biggest boosters could have predicted when the Rangers acquired the troubled outfielder from the Los Angeles Angels in April.

Hamilton underwent shoulder surgery in early February. A few weeks later, he admitted he'd "suffered a relapse in his battle with substance abuse," as Mike DiGiovanna and Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times put it. 

He never played an inning for the Angels in 2015, and it looked like the former American League MVP's career might be in jeopardy.

Now he's back and swinging it like the guy who won that MVP with the Rangers in 2010. 

Those were the salad days. Things ended badly, however, as Hamilton split for a big payday in Southern California after the 2012 campaign and took some shots on the way out, saying Arlington was "not a true baseball town," per USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

Based on the reception Rangers fans have offered up, all is forgiven. 

"It's a good feeling, man. I'm appreciative," Hamilton said after his first home game May 28, per ESPN.com's Jean-Jacques Taylor. "You hear fans cheering in the stands, and it means a lot."

Whether Hamilton can stay healthy, sustain this level of production and help the Rangers sneak into the hunt in the AL West remains to be seen. For now, he's digging into some home cooking—and liking what he's tasting.

Around the League

Jason Kipnis Wraps Up Scalding May

With two doubles in Sunday's 6-3, extra-inning win over the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis finished the month with an eye-popping 51 knocks.

That's the most May hits by a Cleveland player since at least 1914, per MLB.com's Jordan Bastian.

And Kipnis flexed his muscles, hitting four home runs in May and hiking his OPS nearly 400 points.

"I have no words for it," Indians outfielder Brandon Moss said of his teammate's scalding streak, per Bastian. "I'm surprised it's not being talked about more throughout baseball."

Overall, Kipnis is hitting .340, tops among AL second basemen. If he keeps it up, look for the 28-year-old to make his second All-Star appearance.

Oakland Trade Chips Show Their Worth

The Oakland A's are in the midst of a disastrous season, 13 games under .500 and mired in last place in the AL West. That's led to inevitable talk of a fire sale.

On Sunday, some of Oakland's possible trade pieces affirmed their value.

Right-hander Jesse Chavez twirled eight shutout innings after allowing just one unearned run in eight frames in his previous start May 26. And reliever Tyler Clippard nailed down the save in a 3-0 win over the New York Yankees.

Catcher Stephen Vogt launched his 11th home run. General manager Billy Beane has said he won't deal his breakout backstop, per Peter Gammons at Gammons Daily. 

Other players, though, are likely to move, like pitcher Scott Kazmir, an impending free agent, and jack-of-all-trades Ben Zobrist, a potential target for the Chicago Cubs, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. 

Beane has a long track record of pulling the trigger on headline-grabbing swaps. Unless Oakland rips off an extended winning streak before the All-Star break, expect the A's to be open for business—and for Beane's phone to start blowing up.

Verlander Shows Velocity, Wobbly Control in Rehab Start

The good news for the Detroit Tigers: Justin Verlander touched 96 mph and consistently sat around 93-94 mph in a rehab start Sunday for the Toledo Mud Hens, per MLB.com's Jason Beck.

The bad news: He coughed up six hits and two walks in 2.2 innings and struggled with his command, as MLive.com's Chris Iott noted:

Verlander, who is working his way back from a triceps injury, hasn't pitched for Detroit in 2015. The Tigers could sure use him in what might be baseball's deepest division, especially if he can figure out how to look even slightly like the guy who won the AL Cy Young and MVP Award in 2011.

Here you go, Tigers fans, bathe in nostalgia:

Colon Gets 8th Win, Legs Out Double

Bartolo Colon notched his MLB-leading 8th win of the season Sunday as the New York Mets topped the Miami Marlins 4-3. 

By far the most memorable moment, though, came when Colon smacked a screaming liner past Marlins center fielder Ichiro Suzuki all the way to the wall.

The portly 42-year-old eased into second with a stand-up double, plus an RBI that broke a 1-1 tie in the second.

Had he run hard, he might have even made it to third. Did the thought of a three-bagger cross his mind?

"No chance," Colon said, per MLB.com's Anthony DiComo.

Fair enough. 

All statistics current as of May 31 and courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise noted.